Salem United Church of Christ
Scanned image courtesy of Universtiy of Cincinnati Libraries ,Archives and Rare Books Department
In 1842 a group of German Methodists from Nast Memorial Church relocated to Newport, Kentucky and, because there was no German Methodist Church in Northern Kentucky at the time, met in homes to worship together with lay persons officiating services.
Eventually, the congregation’s size was such that it required a church of its own, which was dedicated in 1855. After the Civil War, the church experienced several revivals and rising membership prompted the construction of a new red brick gothic style building on Eighth Street, which was completed in 1883. In response to pressure to Americanize during the first years of World War I, the church removed the sign proclaiming it to be “Salem Kirche” and replaced it with “Salem Methodist Episcopal Church” and switched to English-only services.
A storm in 1986 severely damaged the church’s roof and foundation and, because the members then totaled only 45, the congregation merged with Grace United Methodist and sold the building to the Footlighter Theatre Group, which now operates The Stained Glass Theater.
Bibliographical Sources:
German Cincinnati, by Don Heinrich Tolzmann, Arcadia Publishing, 2005, page 43
